Newnations Prescriptions

While Taiwan’s export-oriented economy continues to languish in the doldrums, President Ma Ying-jeou appears to be single-mindedly focused on building a legacy for his presidency defined in terms of the cross-straits issue and building the relationship with China, rather than in giving support to his domestic constituents. With a popularity rating that last month plummeted to single digits and the Asian Development Bank now blaming poor governance for the root cause of Taiwan’s economic backtracking, some observers believe that Ma has taken a leaf from the Roman Emperor Nero and is (metaphorically) fiddling while Taiwan is burning.